


Monsters

by JustCallMeGirlFriday



Series: Finding your way through the dark to the light [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-11-14
Packaged: 2018-02-20 19:57:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2441054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustCallMeGirlFriday/pseuds/JustCallMeGirlFriday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One shots surrounding the Enchanted Forest monsters - and those whom saved them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm The Wolf

"You almost killed her." Red sat in the chair across from the blonde woman. Looking her straight in the eyes. "You froze her, and almost killed her." Leaning forward.

"I didn't mean too." The blonde woman whimpered. "I didn't mean to harm her. I was afraid."

Shaking her head. "Not good enough." She growled low in her throat. "Not  _good_  enough."

"Enough Red." Snow's soft command spoke volume from across the room.

Not taking her eyes from the blonde woman's. "I protect my pack; Snow. As you well know." Red spoke in a thin voice.

"Elsa is our pack." Snow replied.

"She almost killed Emma." Red showed her teeth.

"I'm Emma's mother; Red. I'm the over protective one here. I trust Elsa with my daughter." Snow walked towards the table with Neal in her arms. Sitting down in the chair next to the tall blonde. "I trust Elsa with Neal." She leaned forward and offered her son to the blonde ice Queen.

Elsa backed away quickly. Her hands clasped tightly together slipped down to her lap. She whimpered.

Red calmed down once she saw how frightened the blonde woman actually was. When she had first heard that Emma had been in danger due to a woman whom could make ice come flying from her hands; she had freaked the hell out. Seriously whom wouldn't be freaked out by that?! She had rushed over to Snow's loft and demanded to see Emma herself. When she had seen how truly weak her god-daughter was her anger had hit her full force. She swung around and wanted to eat the blonde witch for harming Snow's daughter.

But she fully recognized Elsa's fear of herself. After all when she had first learned that  _she_  was the Wolf she went through the self damnation of being a monster herself. Standing to her feet she went and knelt down in front of the scared blonde. Reaching forward and placing her hands on the blonde's knees.

Elsa jerked backwards. "D-d-don't touch me. I'll h-hurt you."

"I trust you." Red said as she placed her hands a little more firmly on the blonde's thighs.

"P-please let me go." Elsa pleaded as she looked deeply into the hazel eyes of the brunette kneeling in front of her. "P-please."

"I'm the wolf." Red said.

Elsa blinked.

"I ate my boyfriend." Red went on. "His name was Peter. Snow and I followed the wolf tracks back to Granny and mine cabin. They stopped just outside the window that Peter always visited at." She swallowed. "Even though I knew that Peter was the wolf I wasn't terrified of him. So I went into the woods to meet him without my cloak. Snow was helping me fool Granny. She would've kept me locked inside during wolf's time." Swallowing around the lump. "I told Peter that I loved him and that I wasn't afraid of the wolf. That we would chain him up against the tree and when he turned into the wolf; I would figure out a way to calm the wolf down. To get the wolf to stop killing people."

Snow allowed the tears to fall silently down her cheeks. She cradled her infant son close to her heart.

"Only when the moon rose high in the sky; it wasn't Peter whom changed into the wolf. It was me." Red swallowed. "I was insane. I forgot whom was in front of me chained too a tree. I heard him begging me to come to my senses to remember whom he was. But I wasn't Red anymore. I didn't know how to be Red anymore. I gave into the wolf. I lunged at him and killed him with one bit to the jugular." She shook her head. "The only thing I was aware of when I was turned back into myself was that Granny and Snow were trying to shield Peter's body from me. When I looked at Peter's body I just knew that  _I_  was the wolf."

Elsa's breathe had hitched as she listened to the brunette's story.  _Anna! I need to find Anna. Now more so then ever. I have to protect Anna._

"I was a total mess in the beginning. I wanted to kill myself for being the monster that I was." Red kept a steady eye contact with the blonde. "If it wasn't for Snow White then I would have succeeded."

Snow gasped from behind her. Red felt horrible bringing up these painful memories with her best friend - her sister in the room; without being able to comfort her. But she knew that the blonde in front of her needed to hear this - needed her to be close to her right now. Red knew that Snow was safe behind her with her infant son in her arms.

"Snow showed me that she  _trusted_  me with her life. That she didn't see me any different then when she first met me. She saw me - not the wolf - not Red Riding Hood - she saw  _me_." Red smiled through her tears. "She saw everything in me. The good. The bad. The horrible. The horrors. The demons. She accepted me."

"That's Anna for me." Elsa whispered.

Red nodded. She felt warmth at her side; her face slowly turned from the blonde's face to Snow's smooth face. She smiled softly as she found Snow holding Neal out for her to take. She removed her hands from Elsa's thighs; and gathered her god-son into her arms; and rested his head against her chest. "Our pack of two sure has grown Snow." She whispered as she bowed her head to kiss the smooth skin of Neal's forehead.


	2. Being Alone

"You have a interesting family." Emma couldn't keep the laugh in. She was sitting on the right side of her bed with Elsa next to her. "That's the understatement of a lifetime."

"Before I met you I thought Kristoff had the most interesting upbringing. He was raised by love matching trolls after all." Elsa giggled softly.

"Trolls can be love matches?" Emma's eyes widen at that thought. "All the troll stories mom and dad tell are about huge; and ugly ones. Ones that they didn't mind using Fairy dust to turn into roaches and step on with their shoes." She thought back to her very first meeting with a troll back in the Enchanted forest two years previous. "The troll that I personally met had very bad breath."

"Well the trolls that adopted Kristoff when he was six were very nice." Elsa replied. "I met them when I hurt Anna." A lone tear fell down her left cheek. She felt warm hand in her cold one.

"You accidentally hurt your little sister. I know that if I had grown up with Neal by my side; then I would have accidentally hurt my little brother." Emma squeezed the blue eyed blonde's hand tighter. "I know that even through I'm thirty years older than my baby brother that some times I'm going to accidentally hurt him. That's what siblings do to one another."

Elsa turned her head to face Emma's concerned one. "You are a fully grown adult Princess Emma Swan." She noticed how uncomfortable Emma was with her title. "By the time Neal is old enough to be annoying to you - you'll be in your forties. Do you know any forty year olds whom would be annoyed by a small child?"

"Do you know any forty year olds whom have ten year old little brothers?" Emma shot back. "Seriously I'm going to the only forty year old in  _all_ realms with an ten year old full brother."

Emma breath shook. "How many fourteen year old kids can honesty say that they  _held_  their infant uncle?" She shook her head. "The dark curse didn't just destroy my childhood - but it destroyed my son's." Her borrow buried. "When I first opened my heart to my son; my sweet and innocent little boy once more. I treated him like a buddy; and side kick - not like my child. When my dad gathered Henry from Regina's mansion when I was stuck in Enchanted Forest; trying desperately to find the portal that would get me back to my son. When Henry first moved in full time with me; I still treated him like a buddy - not a son. With Pan's second curse - I had one year with Henry will all my memories had been changed to where I  _believed_  that I kept my son; and raised him."

Desperate pain haunted Emma's eyes. "I know now that the feelings that I have as a mom for my child is all fake. I didn't really raise my son. I choice to give up for adoption; without holding or looking at him." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I feel so robbed and cheated. I know that Henry _feels_  the same way."

Elsa pulled Emma against her chest. She cradled the other blonde's head against her heart. She didn't know what words to use to comfort this woman whom had come into her life. The woman that she accidentally froze into a tightly freezing box of ice. One that she didn't have the confidence to end on her own - not without Anna. But this woman's father encouraged; and taught how not to just survive but to live.

The woman's whom family had gladly taken her in; even though she almost killed their daughter. Elsa was very, very confused by the turn of events her life had taken ever since she came out of the locket. She wanted Anna. Anna would know the perfect thing to say; too feel. All Elsa could do was just push pass her greatest fear; and to hold Emma close to her. Without her gloves.

Emma clung to the thin body of the cooler than an normal human being could be. A woman whom wasn't ever so careful of herself could accidentally freeze someone. Like Henry. Her mom. Her dad. God forbid her infant baby brother. A woman whom she trusted with her life. She hadn't felt that way since first meeting Mary Margaret. Emma was afraid. She desperately wanted to return to her life in Boston - before Henry tracked her down.

But if she locked herself behind her walls once more - then she would lose the love that she found with her son; her parents; her baby brother. She wouldn't trade those feelings for anything in the world. She wasn't going to give up her family. She had searched far too many years for them; and she wouldn't lose them once more.

"I d-d-don't ha-have the r-r-ight words t-to co-mfor-fort y-y-you." Elsa whimpered out. "I j-just hard you c-c-close; ev-ev-even th-through I c-c-c-could f-fre-eze y-your h-heart." She couldn't gain control of her shakes.

"I trust you." Emma murmured against her heart. "I trust you."

_"I trust you." Anna whispered in her chest as she snuggled even more closer to Elsa._

_Elsa just brushed back her sister's hair from her face. "Oh beloved Anna." She whispered as she burrowed her face into her younger sister's neck. Just above the collar bone. "Never leave me."_

_"I would never leave you. But Elsa you leave me." Anna replied. "When you lock yourself in your room; and refuse to even talk to me through the door." She hiccuped._

_"I didn't want to hurt you any longer. I didn't want to put you into danger again." Elsa whispered as she simply clung to her sister. Her savior. Her life line. "I still don't want."_

_"Don't lock yourself away again." Anna pulled away. "Promise me Elsa." She tearfully demanded._

_Elsa looked deeply into Anna's soul; "I promise."_

_"Now you have to promise NEVER to leave me." Elsa brokenly whimpered. "I can't control my powers without you. Without you I'm just going to -"_

_Anna pulled her sister tightly against her. "You are going to be just fine Elsa. You need to just embrace your gift. Because your powers are a gift." She soothed her sister's shaking back. "You have such a loving heart that it won't let you use your powers for wrong."_

_Elsa buried her head in her sister's color bone._

"She knew that she wouldn't always be there for me." Elsa's eyes widen as the realizing hit her full force.

Emma shifted as she felt the body temperature of the woman she was leaning into go alarming down. Well alarming for any other normal human being. For the Ice Queen it just meant that she's growing that much stronger. "Um Elsa I really need you to calm down. Way down." She said in a calm sure voice.

Ice was very quickly covering the bed; and the wooden floors. Emma watched as ice zoomed quickly up the walls.

"Mom!" Henry's patient voice called from his bedroom.

"I got this one." Emma called back; hoping her parents downstairs knew that she had the situation under control.

She reached up and cupped Elsa's chin in the palm of her hand. She gently turned the other blonde's face to meet her own. "Elsa it's time to calm down. I know you are scared. It okay to be scared. But your powers don't have to come out whenever you are sad."

Elsa blinked. Twice. Her eyes took in the ice on the wall behind Emma. She closed her eyes and thought of Anna. Of Anna's warmth as she accepted her for whom she was.

Emma sighed in relief as the ice disappeared; and the heat returned to the room.

"I shouldn't be staying here." Elsa spoke. "It's not safe for someone whom is seriously made of ice to live with other people. Especially when one of those people is still an infant." She shook her head as she tried to pull away from Emma. But Emma gently just tightened her grip on her chin.

"You aren't meant to be alone; Elsa. Trust me when I tell you that I know what it is like being all alone. I spent my entire childhood alone. Yes I had foster parents; a lot to keep track of; but non of them opened their hearts to me. So I was all alone." Emma gently began to massage the skin underneath her palm.

"That's one of the main reasons why I gave Henry away. Granted I was just eighteen stuck in jail for another year and a half. That was no place to raise an infant. Even though I knew the state would have reduced my time to house arrest. But I wanted to be alone. Alone was all I knew. Alone was all I could count on. So I gave Henry up. I knew I would break if I laid eyes on my son. So I refused." A tear rolled down her cheeks. "When he showed up at my apartment in Boston I knew that my time being alone was over for ever. I was scared."

"I was scared that he would come to realize that I wasn't worth it." Emma whispered. "I was scared that he would come to see me as everyone else did. As a worthless human being. A human being whom didn't deserve love or compassion."

Elsa's hands rose and she cupped Emma's face in the palms of her hands. Gently stroking the smooth; but slightly cold skin underneath.

"It took him almost dying in my place for me to finally wake up to reality. To the truth that he loved me. That he would always love me. That he would fight with everything he has to show me." Emma choked out. "Once I accepted that; then I could lean down and kiss his forehead; and tell him that I loved him. That was the act of true love that woke him up."

Elsa thought to when she hugged Anna, and that had unfroze her sister from the ice statue that she herself turned her sister into.

"With accepting Henry into my heart I gained not only a son; but a mother and father. A baby brother. A werewolf for an god-mother." Emma smiled. "I also gained a new and wonderful friend." Her free hand rested on Elsa's hip.

Elsa half smiled.

"Keep yourself open to love. Being alone is lonely." Emma finished.


	3. I'm The Villian

Elsa stood in the door way and looked over at the stools. Her back straightened at the person whom she found there. Playing with her hands in front of her; she gathered her strength to say her piece. Head held high she made her way towards the stools; and took seat next to Regina. "You shouldn't have said what you did to Emma." She said keeping her voice low; but authority.

Regina barked out a harsh laugh. "So Ms. Swan has _another_  admirer. How quint. How  _unsurprising_." She didn't design to look at the young blond whom had designed to sit next to her. Her eyes just squinted as she stared forward. She tired. So ever tired of hearing how she shouldn't be treating Emma Swan. God; she wished she could still be evil; and kill anyone whom she hatred. But she promised Henry. It was so hard to keep that promise.

"You should be supporting her. You should be helping her." Elsa spoke.

"Help her? After she betrayed me. It will be a cold day in hell before I help Ms. Swan again. Henry's birth mother or no." Regnia's right fist clenched at the side of the plate.

"She didn't mean to hurt you." Elsa said in a gentle voice. "She didn't set out to harm you."

"None of those idiots set out to harm me. But every single one of their actions do harm me." Regina finally turned her angry and hurt eyes to meet the blue eyes of the new Princess to arrive in Storybrooke. Damn this town was going to be out of room with everyone from the Enchanted Forest arriving in droves.

"Your adopted son is part of that family blood line." Elsa tilted her head. "Is he an idiot?"

"Of course not." Regina barked out. "I raised Henry since he was a baby. I kept him away from those idiots."

"But did you know whom Henry was when you adopted him?" Elsa raised her left eye brow.

"No." Regnia replied.

"If you had known whom he was; would you have still adopted him?" Elsa questioned.

"He needed me." Regina softly said. "He still needs me."

"What would you have done if you had arrived in time to stop Emma from going through the wardrobe?" Elsa kept her open blue eyes glued onto Regina's dark brown ones. "Would you have gone as far as killing Snow White's baby to finally have your ultimate revenge?"

"I have never killed a baby." Regina replied. "I wouldn't have started with Snow White's newborn." She forced the bile back down her throat. It wouldn't due to be sick in Granny's after all.

"Don't you know that the women you have murdered may have been pregnant?" Elsa shook her head.

Regina swallowed once more. "So I'm a murder. I never hid it. Even once the damn curse was broken due to Ms. Swan; I never denied that I was a murder. Not even from my son." Her stomach twisted as this newest Princess's words hit her where it hurt the most. Her heart.

"Did you kill Anna?" Elsa swallowed thickly.

"Whom?" Regina drew out.

"My sister." Elsa choked out. "Did you kill my sister."

"I have killed a lot of people. It's hard to keep track." Regina replied.

"She had red hair. She loves to wear her hair in two braids. Her eyes are so full of life, trust, and love." Elsa said with a tear rolled down her cheeks. "You would remember her if you had met her. She's so full of life."

"If she's dead then it's not by my hand." Regina spoke.

Elsa kept staring into Regina's eyes. She nodded; and then looked down. "She has to be alive." She whispered.

"I hope she is." Regina spoke.

"I wo-would fee – I – I w-w-oul-ld fee-feel it if s—she w-w-where d-dead." Elsa's whimpers were very low. Regina leaned forward to catch what the blonde was saying. Reaching over to place a hand on Elsa's cold one which were in the blonde's lap.

"I'm positive that Anna is alive." Regina said in a low tone.  _But is being alive truly the best for Anna? Especially if she was hurt. After all the dark curse said that NO ONE should have a happy ending. What if Anna got sweapted up in the curse – and was brought here. After all I STILL don't know whom traveled to Storybrooke; and whom hasn't. This town is actually petty huge to accommodate hundreds of the royalty and the pheasants alike._

Elsa pulled herself together. She didn't come here for herself after all. She came because of Emma. Her new friend. "I know in my very short time here that you have a tricky history with Emma and her parents."

Regina barked in laughter. "Call it a murderous history. On my side that is." She could tell that Elsa didn't want to talk about her worry for her sister any longer. So she allowed the subject to drop. For now. Even at the cost of her temper. She really wanted to say on Snow's side too. But she was very truthful with herself – and knew that because Snow was responsible for Daniel and her mothers deaths – Snow didn't kill either of them with her own hands. Regina killed many, many people with her own hands. Not counting the times she ripped the hearts right out of people.

"You are Snow's step mother. Emma's step grandmother. You have magic. You know how to control your magic. Emma needs help and encouragement to control hers. She feels more comfortable going to you instead of going to the Dark One. She trusts you." Elsa leaned forward.

"Not my problem." Regina breathed out. "Honey don't you understand by now? I'm a villain. Villains aren't helpful. Villians aren't nice." She stood to her feet. "Emma is better off on her own then seeking help from me." shrugging her shoulders. "If I leave Emma's magic alone – then it's one less thing that Snow needs to blame me for. That's how helpful that I can and will be." She turned and walked from the diner.


	4. I Don't Want To Be Alone Any Longer

"If things get too crowded at the loft you are always welcome at the bed and breakfast." Red turned her head to the left to where Elsa was walking silently beside her. They were in the woods. Well Red had been in the woods trying to please the wolf in the calming of the woods instead of in town. She herself loved being in town – in the center of things – being with  _people_. But the Wolf demanded the woods. Being alone.

The wolf's ears twitched as it hard a crunch to the right of her. Red stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the smell of the person that was in the woods with her. It wasn't Snow. Or Belle. Her lips went up as she realized it wasn't Granny tracking her. It was an unfamilar smell but a very recent familiar smell that she was taking in. It smelled with a hint of forever Winter.

Red decided to use her silent tracking trait to sneak up on the newest resident of Storybrooke. She wanted to see how alert the Queen of Arendelle was in the woods. After all she  _wouldn't_  be the first Queen she had to teach to live in the woods. Although Snow had  _still_ been a Princess when she learned about the Enchanted Forest.

Red had silently tracked the not so silent Queen; but decided against surprising the soft spoken Queen. After all she didn't want to cause Elsa's powers to come alive. She figured that Elsa was the very nervous type – and still didn't have full control of her ice powers. After all look what happened to Emma a few weeks previous. She would do anything to prevent Elsa from feeling guilty for using her powers for the world.

After all as Snow had stated. Elsa was part of her pack now. Red protected her pack.  _All_  her pack. She decided to lean against a tree as she waited for Elsa to make her way towards her. "You are making quite a racket." She grinned softly as Elsa came into her line of sight. "You would never be successful at tracking with all that noise."

Elsa stopped dead in her tracks. Her wide blue eyes meeting the friendly hazel ones across from her. "I d-d-didn't know anyone w-was out here." She blushed.

Red tilted her head. "The wolf likes the woods best."

Elsa nodded. "I can go back."

"No need." Red pushed off the tree. "I can teach you how to walk more quietly in the woods." She offered.

Elsa tilted her head. "I guess I should learn how to. It should be able to protect me better. Anna also once I find her."

Red nodded. She tilted her head forward and waited for Elsa to walk alongside. "Watch how I move my feet." She said as she watched Elsa step on a trig and a piece of bark.

For an hour Red showed Elsa the proper way of moving around in the woods; and she was relieved at how fast Elsa learned to walk silently on the wooden path. The two women were silent as they enjoyed their time in the woods.

"If things get too crowded at the loft you are always welcome at the bed and breakfast." Red finally spoke as she turned her head to face the blond.

Elsa stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes trained on the ground. "H-ha-ve they s-spok-en …." She swallowed around the lump that had lodged in her throat.

Red put her right hand on Elsa's cold arm. "Snow and her family  _love_  having you with them; Elsa. They consider you a part of their family. You are wanted."

Tears fell past Elsa's eyes. Snowflakes had began to drift above her head.

_Snow is going to kill me._ "I was just thinking that you may find the loft too crowded. I know you are used to living in a huge castle; with plenty of separate rooms all to yourself. I thought the loft was starting to feel too confining was all." Red swallowed around the lump in her throat. The wolf was whining in distress.

"I d-d-don't w-w-want to be a-al-alone any lon-ger." Elsa's lip quivered. "Anna." She whispered. All she wanted was Anna. She needed her sister.

"You aren't alone." Red softly say. "You have Anna." She felt the temperature drop even lower than before. "You now also have Snow, David, Emma, Henry, baby Neal and myself." She was relieved that the ice underneath them wasn't spreading. She could deal with the ice under her feet. After all the wolf demanded that she stayed by Elsa's side. She didn't need the wolf to tell her that she was needed to remain where she was.

"I also have Kristoff." Elsa's head jerked up. Wide eyes staring straight ahead. "Oh God I haven't even asked about Kristoff! Is he still in Arendelle?! Is he alive? Is he hurt?"

Red's heart pounded tightly against her chest. The wolf howled in agony deep within. It took all of her power to keep the wolf at bay. She felt her eyes glow bright yellow – but she fought the wolf back down. "Is he your betrothed? You husband?"  _Your mate_  the wolf howled in distress.

"He's Anna's fiancé. They were to be wed five years ago. But then I learned something in my mother's diary. About my powers. About why my parents truly were on that doomed ship that ended their lives much too early. Anna was demanded to track down the truth – so she left Arendelle. She ordered Kristoff to remain behind. Too keep me from chasing after her. To protect me." Elsa's hands shook at her sides.

"The last time I saw him was right before I went into the urn." Elsa's voice held the confusion as some of the last memories came to her. But all she could see was Kristoff's freaked out face as he stood frozen across from her – unable to prevent her from being swept into the urn. The shock, and fear that run through his eyes almost made her fall to the ground.

The ice spread quickly through the wood ground. "Elsa; you need to calm down." Red's voice was soft and quiet. "I'm sure that Kristoff is fine. We'll find him either in Storybrooke – or we'll find information telling us that he's fine; and back in Arendelle waiting for your and Anna's returned." Her heart broke at the sheer thought of Elsa chosing to return to Arendelle instead of making a home in Storybrooke. But she would completely understand Elsa wanted to return to their own world – in their own time. The 22nd century was hold to handle – even with the cursed memories.

"Anna will be so hurt if he's dead or hurt. She was counting on me to protect him. I'm her older sister I should have protected him better." Elsa was speaking to herself. She quite forgot that Red was beside her. She didn't realize that the ice was very quickly covering the woods floor – and downtown Storybrooke.

**{BACK ON MAIN STREET}**

"Seriously again?" Grace rolled her eyes as she wrapped her arms tightly across her chest to try to get warm. "I thought your mom had this under control."

"Elsa is new to this. After all she has just got released from the urn that she had been trapped in for  _thirty years_." Henry pointed out as he shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around the girl's shoulder. Hoping that will keep Paige warm.  _Come on mom I need you to calm Elsa down now._ He thought very warm thoughts to keep himself warm.

Grace looked at Henry. "I know you are a Prince and all; Henry. But you need your coat." She tried to shrug off of the boy's coat to give it back to him; but Henry shook his head; and put his hands on her arms.

"We are almost to the diner. I'm okay." Henry softly smiled. "I don't want your father over acting with you getting sick is all."

Grace side. "Dad told me that you  _Charmings_ are a little too much." She blew air out of her mouth. "He was right."

Henry shone with pride. "It's a family trait." He pulled open the door the diner. "Just like finding one another in hopeless situations is." He followed the girl into the warmth of the diner. "Hey Granny." He called out. "One hot chocolate with marshmallows and one with …."

"Cinnamon." Granny eyed the teenagers before nodding her head in approval.

"Another family trait." Henry said as he and Grace slid into a booth. "Although only my grandmother, mom and I share it." He smiled softly as he thought of sharing something with his beloved mother and grandmother.

"Look Henry; I like Elsa. I truly do. But if she makes it freezing cold every time her emotions get the better of her -" Grace stopped speaking as she pulled Henry's coat tighter against her.

"My mom has it under control." Henry leaned forward. "At least Elsa didn't accidentally knock out the power again. Or wall off the town." He lifted his eye brows. "Sides weren't winters in the Enchanted Forest even colder than Storybrooke? I mean if you were suddenly caught out in a storm out of town – you couldn't walk into the nearest diner."

Grace sighed deeply. "We  _knew_  when winter was coming. We  _knew_  how long winter was going to last. We were prepared. With Elsa's powers being out of her control right now – how can we be prepared for a sudden ice storm? Should we always carry our heaviest clothes around where ever we go?"

Henry started to speak when he saw his mother walk into the diner with Killian at her side. He grew warm inside as he saw how much his mother cared for Killian; and how much Killian cared for his mother. It was written all over them. Although his mother was still desperately trying to hide the truth from everyone – and herself. But he knew better. He also knew that Killian knew; but he was very patient with waiting for his mother to be ready to open herself freely.

"Hey Henry. Grace." His mother smiled as she caught sight of him at the booth.

"Hey mom." Henry grinned. But then suddenly frowned. "Wait if you are here with Killian then where is Elsa?"

His mother tilted her head to the right. "I don't know."

"Have you seen the outside lately?" Henry pointed out.

"It's cold. It's icy …." His mother's eyes widen in shock. "Oh boy." She quickly pulled out her phone.

"Just to let you know Swan; I saw your parents with Neal a half hour ago. IF Elsa is alone at the loft; I'm not sure she'll realize what the ringing of the phone is." Killian spoke up.

His mother sighed as she tucked her phone back in her pocket.

Granny walked up to the booth with two mugs. "If it's any help I noticed Elsa going towards the woods this morning."

"Thanks Granny." His mother quickly replied. She rushed towards the door.

"Killian why don't you come up to the counter and eat something." Granny said setting the mugs down in front of the two young teenagers.

"I think I should go with Swan." Killian began towards the door.

"They don't need you." Granny forcefully replied.

Henry watched as Killian stopped dead in his steps. He slowly turned around and stared wide eyed at the older woman.

"Emma doesn't do well in the woods. With all this ice she'll have more trouble than normal." Killian slowly grounded out.

"Red is in the woods." Granny calmly stated. "I'm sure that Red has tracked Elsa down as we speak. Emma will locate Elsa very easily – and Red will help Emma out in the woods." She walked towards the counter. "I think too many people might make Elsa even more tensed right now."

Killian sighed and walked towards the counter. He took a seat at the counter.

Henry sighed deeply and turned back to his friend.

Grace had a private smile on her lips.

**{THE WOODS}**

Elsa had backed herself up against a tree. Her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Her head was bowed as she was trying desperately to wrap herself up against the world.

Tears rolled silently down Red's cheeks as she tried desperately to come up with a way to get the other woman to allow her to be close to her. To grain her trust.  _I need you Snow._ Her soul was crying desperately for Snow to suddenly show up. The blond tightened her hold on herself; as her body shook with silent sobs.

"Elsa." A voice said to the right of Red and the woman against the tree. Red silently watched as Emma carefully made her way to stand in front of the blond woman against the tree. Emma carefully placed her hands against Elsa's arms. "Elsa." Emma softly and calmly spoke once more.

Elsa pulled future into herself. Trying to escape from the being whom was trying to pull her from herself. This wasn't the being that she wanted. She wanted her sister. She only wanted her sister. Why couldn't this being understand this?

"Elsa." Emma spoke softly much closer than before.

Elsa shook her head as she drew her chin closer to her chest.

Red heard tree branches falling to the woods floor. The cold was seeping into her. Freezing out the wolf. She kept a sharp eye on Emma in fear that he god-daughter would freeze once more. But with Emma's hands on Elsa's body it was like Emma was a beacon of light. Warmth.

_Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal. Don't feel._

"Don't you dare Elsa." Emma's rough voice broke through Elsa's manta. Her mind went blank.  _Do you want to build a snowman?_ Emma caught the small smile that came to Elsa's lips. Then just like that it was gone once more. The temperature dropped even lower than before. "Elsa!" She demanded in a fiery voice.

Elsa's eyes flashed in anger as she lifted her head to glare into Emma's fiery green eyes. How dare this woman. This stranger tell her – the Queen of Ardendelle what she can and can not do. "Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me. Now." She seethed through her teeth.

Emma felt the ice power rise in Elsa through the other woman's sheer anger. She also felt her own powers rise right along with the other woman's. She  _just_  knew her powers could over shadow Elsa's if it came to it. But she prayed that she could calm the other blonde down with just her words; and her feelings. "I didn't want you to shut yourself tightly into yourself once more." She softly said. Her hands never leaving the shaking blonde in front of her.

"You. Have. No. Right. Telling. Me. What. To. Do.!" Elsa stormed. "No one does."

**{CHARMINGS' LOFT}**

"We need to create a portal and send Elsa back to Ardendelle!" Snow held Neal closer to her as she tried desperately to keep her infant son warm.

David stared at his wife in shock. "We can't do that. I promised Elsa that I would help her find Anna."

"Whom ever said Anna is even in Storybrooke?" Snow snared.

"The dark curse." David waved his left hand. "Remember the dark curse is all about separating everyone from their loved ones."

"Doesn't mean that it affected Ardendelle. I'm sure that Anna is safe back in Ardendelle and is searching for Elsa there." Snow pulled the blanket even tighter around her son.

"Then how can you explain Victor Frankenstein being in Stroybrooke during the dark curse? He isn't even from the Enchanted Forest." David calmly pointed out.

"He betrayed Regina. She was paying him back when she got the dark curse to bring him here." Snow raised her right eye brow high on her forehead.

"Anna came to the Enchanted Forest." David pointed out.

"That was before we even met. It was before you learned about your twin brother; James. It was before you agreed to be magically transformed  _into_  James." Snow angrily replied. "She was long gone before we even met."

"How can you be sure of that?" David pointed out. He tilted his head as he stared at his wife as she held their infant son. "What's really going on Snow?"

"I don't feel that Elsa is safe to be around our children." Snow replied.

David just stared at his wife.

"How ice powers almost killed Emma. Emma almost froze to death. Now her ice powers are in affect once more – and I can barely keep Neal warm." Snow's eyes looked wildly around the loft. "Where are Emma and Henry? They are out there right now. How do we know that they are safe inside someplace warm? How do we know that they are not out there trapped in one of Elsa's snow domes once more?"

David walked to his wife and put his hands on her face. "Snow. I feel it in my gut that Emma and Henry are quite safe. That neither one of them are in any danger."

Tears rolled down Snow's cheeks. "How can you know this Charming? After all we had to lose Emma when she was [JUST BORN](https://www.fanfiction.net/story/story_preview.php?storyid=10750196&chapter=4/#). Minutes after she was born we had to put her in the cabinet. Alone. Helpless. Motherless. Fatherless. We had to send her to an unknown land." She shook her head. Her arms tightened around her son against her chest. "I can't lose her again, Charming. You can't ask me that."

"I'm not asking you that." David said with tears rolling down his own cheeks. "All I'm asking is that you trust our beautiful, and strong daughter to do what she was born to do. To help save lost souls." ]

"She  _wasn't_  born to be the savior of lost souls!" Snow cried out passionately.

Neal let out a scream.

"Let me take him." David said as he noticed that his wife was too worked up to tend to their son.

Snow just held Neal tighter against her.

"I'm his father. I need to bond with him. Let me hold him." David said in a husky voice over his son's screams.

Snow just glared into his eyes before looking down at her son. "Mommy is sorry for raising her voice Neal. Mommy is just scared over your sister." She bent her head to kiss her infant son's forehead.

"I did what I had to _save_  our precious little girl. We didn't know that two could have gone through the cabinet when Emma decided to be born just minutes before Regina let loose the Dark Curse. We didn't know that Pinocchio went though." Tears rolled down David's cheeks. "I  _did what I had to do_  to save our daughter." He would live with the regret of sending his innocent, and defenseless into a world that  _no one_  had any idea about.

"She  _should_  have remained with us." Snow finally looked up from her son's wet forehead into her husband's heartbroken eyes. "We  _should_ have found another way. They  _had_  to be another way."

"There wasn't one." David said in a dead tone.

"I should have held on just a little while longer." Snow whispered.

David rushed up to his wife and cupped her face in the palms of his hands. "Even if we had managed to get you to move from the nursery; to the room where the cabinet is; Emma still would have been born before we would be able to get you into the cabinet; Snow. Emma would have been in danger if she had been born on the move – _you_ would have been in danger."

"I didn't matter. Emma mattered." Snow whispered. "We should have fought harder for our baby." She held Neal even more tighter against her chest.

"We fought as hard as we could." Tears ran down his cheeks. "I fought with everything I had in me; Snow; to protect our baby girl. To protect my beloved and precious little girl." David swallowed around the lump that was lodge in his throat. "I would have willing died protecting her."

"If the dark curse didn't hit us when it did; Charming; then you would have died." Snow whispered. She held out their son to her beloved. With loving eyes she watched as her true love took his son into his arms; and held him against his chest. She watched as he bowed his head and kissed their son's wet forehead with tears steaming down his cheeks.

**{THE WOODS}**

"I have every right to order you not to go back into yourself." Emma said in a voice laced with steel. "I have every right to demand you to remain with me. To remain with all of us. I have every right to fight you from withdrawing deep inside yourself where even Anna wouldn't be able to reach you."

Elsa's ice blue eyes flashed with fire. But then the words that Emma was saying to her hit her full force. She read the truth in them. She read the fear of someone whom knew exactly how she was feeling. Then Emma said the magic word and Elsa came back to earth.  _Anna!_

"It would be easy to lock yourself back tightly inside yourself. To build your walls even higher then ever before. To lay cement against the wall – because no one can break through cement easily." Tears rolled down Emma's cheeks. "The hardest thing to do in life is to open yourself up to other people. I know this. I have lived this. I am  _still_ living this."

Elsa felt the other blonde's hands on her cheeks began to shake. She wanted speak. But she couldn't find her voice. She was still fighting with herself not to withdraw once more. She was fighting to hold on for Anna. Even though Anna wasn't there beside her. Even through she had no idea where Anna was or if Anna was still alive.  _Conceal. Don't Feel. Conceal. Don't Feel._

_**ELSA! STOP IT! DON'T YOU DARE!** _

Elsa's blue eyes widen in shock.  _Anna!_

**I DON'T NEED TO PHYSICALLY BE THERE BY YOUR SIDE ALL THE TIME! YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH TO LIVE SUCH A FULL FILLING LIFE WITHOUT ME ALWAYS BY YOUR SIDE. I'm always going to be there for you Elsa. I have always been there for you. My spirit is always with you. Keep holding on. Keep living.**

The wolf grew excited as it felt the change in Elsa. Fighting the wolf from leaping out; Red silently watched the two blond women in front of her.

With the feel of Emma's fingers caressing her cheeks; Elsa opened her mouth. "I do-don-don't w-want t-to b-be al-one an-anymore." She choked out.


End file.
